Direct-Injection Spark-Ignition (DISI) internal combustion engines, which may include Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDI) combustion engines, may provide more precise control over the amount, and timing of the fuel provided for combustion according to engine load. DISI engines generally provide increased fuel efficiency and improved emissions control as compared with engines without DISI.
Efforts have been made to provide even greater levels of fuel efficiency and improved emissions control using DISI and/or GTDI. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,418,940 discloses a fuel injector spray pattern for direct injection spark ignition engines having a first plurality of jets oriented to spray fuel generally downward toward the piston bowl and a second plurality of jets oriented to spray fuel generally across the cylinder toward the exhaust valves. However, the inventors herein have recognized at least one shortcoming with the disclosed approach.
For example, the inventors herein have discovered that the injector nozzles can be directed to provide spray patterns, within a particular range of configurations that tends to reduce valve wetting and to minimize liner and piston wetting. In addition, some of the example spray configurations disclosed herein tend to interact with the direct-injection piston bowl to produce a more stable stratified mixture around the spark plug during cold start operation for cold start combustion stability and reduced emissions.
Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may provide a fuel injector having an injector axis, comprising a first nozzle aiming in a first radial direction; a first nozzle pair aiming in radial directions each equally angled relative to the first direction, closest to the first radial direction, and having a longest radial offset; a nozzle second pair in radial directions each equally angled relative to the first direction; and another nozzle aiming opposite the first radial direction and having a shortest radial offset. In this way, fuel impingement on surfaces, such as the piston, intake valves, and the liner, and the like may be reduced while reducing soot formation and maintaining effective and efficient combustion.
Further embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may provide a fuel injector system for an internal combustion engine and a fuel injector for a combustion chamber. The fuel injector system may include a fuel injector having an injector axis. Six injector nozzles may be disposed around the injector axis. Each of the six injector nozzles may be configured to direct six respective streams of fuel such that each respective stream of fuel may travel respective predetermined six radial distances from the injector axis as measured on a plane normal to the injector axis. A fourth radial distance may be a shortest distance relative to the other five radial distances. A second and a sixth radial distance may be approximately equal to each other and longer than the other four radial distances. A third and a fifth radial distance may be approximately equal to each other and may be intermediate radial distances being shorter than the second and sixth radial distance and longer than the fourth radial distance. In addition, a first radial distance may be shorter than the second and sixth radial distance and longer than the fourth radial distance. In this way, fuel impingement on surfaces, such as the piston, intake valves, and the liner, and the like may be reduced. In this way, combustion emissions may be reduced, and/or fuel economy may be improved. Also in this way, a source of soot emissions may be reduced.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.